12 Reasons to Take a Trip to Disney Springs

12 Reasons to Take a Trip to Disney Springs

The scene: you have your Disney tickets in hand, you’re raring to go to one of the theme parks or water parks, and then you hear about something called ‘Disney Springs’.

What is it, and should you devote any of your valuable holiday time to it?

The first answer is that Disney Springs, or Downtown Disney as it used to be (or the Disney Village Marketplace for those with even longer memories!) is completely separate from all the parks, and features a terrific array of shopping, dining and entertainment.

It is free to enter; and boasts an amazing choice of retail in general - and dining in particular: with no fewer than 29 full-service restaurants and another 37 kiosks, food trucks and quick-service outlets. Parking is free, in three massive multi-storey car parks, and it is easy to find off motorway I-4.

Split into four distinct areas – the Marketplace, The Landing, Town Center and West Side – it is a heady mix of attractive open-air plazas and courtyards, all set beside a lake and with a free water taxi service from one end to the other.

So, if you like shopping, dining and being royally entertained, answer No.2 is a resounding: Absolutely!

With that in mind, we thought we’d introduce 12 essential reasons why you should visit Disney Springs, just in case you’re not sure:

12. The Edison:

Hard to define but easy to enjoy, The Edison is an eye-catching restaurant, bar and live entertainment venue that offers a nightly selection of performers to go with a tempting menu and fab selection of cocktails. Burlesque-style dancers, daring aerialists and stilt walkers provide the spectacle, along with The Pearl Street Players house band, with an upstairs-downstairs viewpoint, while the menu features some juicy burgers, fresh fish dishes and dreamy desserts, accompanied by a dazzling array of vintage and signature cocktails.

11. Raglan Road:

Irish pubs tend to be two a penny in most American cities, but the Disney Springs version is one of the very best. To start with, it is Irish owned and run, and much of the interior – notably the two main bars – was shipped in directly from Ireland. The live music and dancing is equally authentic, and the menu was created by Irish celebrity chef Kevin Dundon. The main indoor hall contains two stages, and there are periodic events and celebrations that add further to the lively atmosphere. To round things off, there’s a cute gift shop and a great photo op outside with the bench statue of Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh.

10. Splitsville:

Just occasionally, the weather will turn wet and unfriendly and you need to find an indoor attraction for a few hours or half a day. Splitsville is the perfect Disney Springs venue when that is the case, a two-storey playground for 10-pin bowling, dining and more. There are retro-style bowling alleys upstairs and downstairs, along with pool tables and outdoor patios, and the food is WAY above average for the type of venue.

9. Aerophile:

For an aerial view of Disney Springs, and quite a bit further, this tethered balloon ride is a real thrill as well as a scenic spectacular. It rises gently to a full height of 400ft – the equivalent of a 40-storey building – and the specially designed cradle offers a magnificent 360-degree panorama of the Disney landscape, with views away to downtown Orlando, 20 miles to the north. Located in the West Side section, it flies daily from 9am-11pm (weather permitting).

8. House of Blues:

Whether you’re looking for lunch, dinner or just some cool sounds, the House of Blues can provide the right flavours and music for most moods. The restaurant, with its outdoor terrace and stage, features a range of New Orleans-inspired dishes that include mouth-watering jambalaya and barbecue classics, while the stand alone concert venue next door brings in headline acts, including AFI, Blue October and Yacht Rock Revue in 2022.

7. Live Music:

Sprinkled throughout the near one-mile stretch of Disney Springs are a range of five stages and small-scale venues for live musical acts on a nightly basis. They vary from classical violinists to flamenco guitarists, and rappers to Afropop, and they usually perform several times each evening. And it is all free to listen to as you wander the streets and courtyards of this open-air playground.

6. The Boathouse:

When you’re looking for some of the best seafood in town, a special occasion meal or just a drink in an uber-pleasant waterside location, head to the five-star setting of The Boathouse, complete with its fabulous amphicar water rides. With a choice of different bars and dining rooms, inside and out, you can be sure of an epic lunch or dinner, with gracious service, an upscale atmosphere and superb fish and shellfish dishes, as well as steaks, chicken and pasta.

5. Coca-Cola Store:

In all, there are 103 places that offer different kinds of shopping throughout the four sections of Disney Springs, and many of the most exclusive stores – including Superdry, Lilly Pulitzer, Coach and Jo Malone – are in the Town Center area, which is also where you’ll find the iconic Coca-Cola Store. This unique building is both a Coke superstore, with a bewildering array of souvenirs, apparel and gifts, and a rooftop bar, serving all manner of Coca-Cola products and speciality drinks. Definitely a bar with a view!

4. The Art of Disney:

When you want to find the best of the best in Disney souvenir and gift terms, the place to go is this hugely artistic shop tucked away in the Marketplace area (next to the huge Rainforest Café). Packed with classic Disney images, from large-scale framed prints to individual animation cels, it offers the best range of collectible artwork within the 40 square miles of Walt Disney World.

3. AMC Cinemas:

The modern, high-tech world of contemporary cinema is on offer at this 24-screen multiplex that also features a section of in-theatre dining, so you can take dinner-and-the-movies to the next level. This is the place to see the latest film releases, with the benefit of state-of-the-art sound and digital projection equipment, while there is also a bar, McGuffins, to enjoy a drink both before and during your film.

2. World of Disney:

If you’re looking for that one-stop-shop experience to grab all your Disney souvenirs and gift items, this is definitely the place to come. A vast emporium of just about every kind of branded apparel, plush, jewellery, accessory and collectible you can think of, World of Disney is also the place to stock up on the Celebration Collection of merchandise that highlights the resort’s big 50th Anniversary occasion.

1. Drawn To Life:

The best show in town, bar none, guaranteed, can be found inside the huge tent-like structure of the Cirque du Soleil theatre at the top of the West End section. Ticket prices start at $80, but they are worth every penny for the astounding new show, Drawn To Life, which features a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the daring artistry and grace of the Cirque group and the magic of Disney animation. Words really don’t do it justice, so we will simply say: Don’t miss this show!

What are your favourites at Disney Springs? Tell us about them on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.